Aug 22, 2019 - Etosha NP to Windhoek

Last day of my Namibia tour today. We drove to Windhoek (the capital city of Namibia), arriving in time for lunch. Our guide and driver left immediately as they were going to start their drive in the truck back to Johannesburg. We went for a walk around Windhoek. There is really nothing to see!!! Saw the church and went up the museum building to the roof top bar for a view of the city, before heading out for dinner

Aug 20, 2019 - Damaraland to Etosha NP

Left early to try and get to Etosha as early as possible. Arrived about 10am and went on what was supposed to be an introductory game drive. We actually left the park early as conditions were not great for game viewing - windy and dusty. However, we saw giraffe, elephants, wildebeest, springbok, plains zebra, and 2 lionesses after a feed

Aug 16, 2019 - Solitaire to Swakopmund

Journeyed across the Namib Desert, stopping at the Tropic of Capricorn and a viewpoint on the way to lunch at Walvis Bay - former British enclave, the only part of Namibia they wanted due to the deep sea access, the rest they left to the Germans. After lunch travelled the short distance to Swakopmund

Aug 15, 2019 - Solitaire

Up early to make the Sossusvlei dunes for sunrise, however the national park didn't open it's gates until 7.45am (well after sunrise). First stop was at "Dune 45", one of the largest sand dunes, which can be climbed - I only made it part way. Then onto Deadvlei, a claypan with dead trees that have not decomposed due to the climate (the trees are a couple of thousand years old)). This claypan is overlooked by "Big Daddy", one of the largest dunes in the world at approx 350m. Final stop of the day was at Sesriem Gorge. The people of the area...

Aug 13, 2019 - Noordoewer to Fish River Canyon

In the morning we canoed along the Orange River for a distance of 13km. It was still and beautiful. I was sharing a canoe with one of our local guides and he told me to put the paddle back in the canoe and take photos. Yay!!! Lucky me In the afternoon we drove another couple of hours to the Fish River Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world. We did a short hike along part of the rim leading up to sunset

Mar 2, 2018 - Sossusveli to Twyfelfontein--a day in the air

Soussusveli to Mowant – day in the air – Feb 24 Up ‘dark and early” as the morning host at CBC would say. Paulo has checked and the Balloon ride is a go. It takes about ½ an hour to get there. There are 6 of us this morning, a young couple from Montreal, both graduates of Waterloo, and another couple. In the middle of a very open field, the Sky Boys were filling the balloon. They pump air into it, and when it is partially filled turn on the heat to fill it up. There are 16 of us, 4 in each compartment. Dennis, our captain is in the centre....

Mar 2, 2018 - Mowani Mountain Camp

12 Mowani Mountain Camp –Feb 25, 26 Usko was waiting for us at the airstrip. You can tell it is an airstrip because it has one small tent and a wind sock. The drive to our lodge was not long. The lodge consists of a main building/lounge and about 10 tented rooms, all tucked into and hidden by the big boulders. The land is a concession, run by local people. They lease the land to the lodges, but maintain control over what is built, how it is built, and where it is built. This lodge has gone to a lot of effort to leave the site intact, and...

Mar 1, 2018 - Sossusveli Desert Lodge

10 Sossusvlei Desert Camp – Feb 23 This morning we are again up bright and early. Paulo, the Manager, has pastries, juice and coffee ready for us. We are to be picked up at 5:50 for our balloon ride over the desert. The driver arrives, we sign our lives away, and head for the balloon. Part way there he gets a call to say that the wind is too strong and the ride is cancelled. We head back to camp. Hard to call it a camp, the rooms are superb. Huge living room with patios, bedroom on a separate level, bathroom with both indoor and outdoor...

Mar 1, 2018 - Sossusvlei Desert Lodge--sea of sand

9 Namibia – this is a quote from the Tourist Bureau. “Namibia is a country of almost-superlatives. The second-least densely populated country in the world is also one of the newest, and is home to some of the largest dunes, the darkest skies, the oldest cultures, the biggest conservation areas in Africa – to name but a few. We arrived at Sossusvlei Desert Camp after a very long drive from Wyndhoek, having stopped once for apple pie. For some reason apple pie is a big deal here, and what once was a small gas station has become THE place to...

Feb 23, 2018 - entry just to put location on map

The next day we wandered around Franschhoek for a while and then were picked up and taken to the airport for our flight to Windhoek in Namabia. The flight was uneventful and we arrived late afternoon. We are staying overnight in Windhoek prior to starting our visits to the Namabian nature reserves.

Sep 2, 2016 - Etosha National Park 2

Etosha National Park 2 31 August2016 Up at a modest 6 o'clock for breakfast ay 6.30. On the road by 7.30 to re-visit some of the waterholes and to visit the ones we missed yesterday. No queue at the Park gate, and amazingly we were through pretty quickly. As we had been in the Park yesterday they had our details on their computer! Started at Klein Namutoni, the Dik-dik Drive, Koinagas, Chudop, Kalkheuwel, Ngobib, and Springbokfontein, Batia, Okerfontien again, then along the Doring Drive to Namutoni, Klein Okevi, Groot Okevi and Tsumcor....

Sep 2, 2016 - Etosha National Park

30 August 2016 Still up early as we had to drive to our next tented camp on the other side of the Park, plus we wanted to see as much as we could of the animals. The Park closed at 5.30. A full breakfast today to keep us going, packed, loaded the car and we were off. There was a queue at the Park gates yesterday, but today only two cars in front of us, so quickly through (well as quickly as the Park Officials would allow!) and on to the first waterhole, Ombika, where we saw the lion yesterday, but no luck today, just the usual collection of...